“Youcontinue thesearchfor Fallon.” His eyes narrowed as he looked out over the inky water. “Leave Locklyn Durmor to me.”
***
AsFallonsteadied her horse to a slow walk,sheenteredthe village of Galwayand noted that shewas greeted withfriendly, if not somewhat hesitant,townsfolk.Her heart ached, for she understood that reticence.With a country under continualstrife, times were exceedingly difficult, and even though the famine had passed years before, she had no doubt many werestill trying to recover from thebrutal blow as it had marched out across the land.
A wave of melancholy swept over her, forFallon had suffered alongside herfellow countrymen.She understood the struggles and the loss, and yet, she was still adrift in life, like aboatwithout an anchoron the open sea.
She shook her head and forced herself to push such maudlin thoughts aside. Now was not the time to lament her future—or considera life without Atticus Clare.
A lump formed in her throat, but she forced it down as shespied a two-story house. Situated in the midst of town with faded white paintand a worn sign that proclaimed it was part of the Young Women’s Christian Association,Fallon realized she’d reached her destination, for it matched the description that Mrs. Dailey had given her.
Tying upthehorseto a hitching postand dismounting in front of the establishment,Fallon considered where it was she had been led. The Association was originally founded a few years ago in London by Mary Jane Kinnaird as a safe place for nurses who were traveling back and forth during the Crimean War. During this time, a few women decided to join forces with the organization and Mrs. Daileyhad explained that hercousinhadhappened to be one of them.Becauseso many young women were displaced after the potato faminewithout a guardian to keep them in check,it seemed a logical choice toofferthemasanctuary withouttheworry ofunscrupulous men preying on theirvirtue.
Fallontook a deep breath andwalked up the steps. Sheknocked on the doorand after a moment it was opened by a middle-aged woman with salt-and-pepper hair pulled back into a severe bun. She wore a simple grey skirt and a white blouse and offered a polite greeting when she spied Fallon. “Hello. How may I help you?”
Fallonwithdrewthe missiveand handed itto her. “I had the pleasure of meeting your cousin, Mrs. Dailey,on my travels,and she said you would be able toofferme shelter until I cancontact my family andsecure passage to England.”
She read over the letter and then noddedwith a warm smile. “Indeed, I can.” She opened the door wider. “Come in, Miss…?”
“O’Malley,” Fallon supplied.
“I’m Mrs. Suzanne Hinks.” As she shut the door, she inquired, “How is my cousin faring?”
“Sheappearedto be doing well.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Her hostess sighed heavily. “I daresay I’m concerned about her all alone so far from town, but she refuses to join mehere.” She shrugged. “But then, Irish stubbornness runs in our family.”
“I understand.” Fallon’s lips twitched in fondness. “My grandmother was much the same.”
Suzanne eyed her steadily. “You seem like a good lass. Let’s have some tea and get you settled in.” She glanced back at the door. “Do you need help with your traveling valise?”
Fallon offered her a sheepish expression. “I fear that I had to leave my formerlodgingsrather… abruptly.” She spread her arms to encompass her attire from Mrs. Dailey. “This iscurrentlyall I have.”
“Well, that just won’t do, will it?” Suzanne murmured, and then, after giving Fallon a thorough once over, sheadded, “Come with me. You seem to be similar in size to my Enid. She’s married and has a family of her own now. I kept some of her gowns out of sentimental value, but if they can be properly used, I don’t mindsacrificing them for the greater good.”
“You don’t need to keep them for your boarders?” Fallon inquired.
“Oh, no. I haven’t had any girls here for quite some time. These days it’s more of a sanctuary for ladies who’ve fallen on hard times.”
Sanctuary.
Falloncouldn’t help but see the irony in the lady’s words. She had come back home to Ireland to find just that, but it wasn’t in the manner she had been expecting. Nevertheless, shewas touchedby this woman’s hospitality.“That’s very kind of you, Mrs. Hinks, andI promise that your generosity won’t bein vain.I will ensure thatyouarefully compensated once myrelation comes for me.”
She waved a hand. “Think nothing of it, my dear. It’s not often that my cousin requests anything of me, so if she thought that much of you to send you my way, you must have been very kind to her, and that is something thatcannever be repaid.”
***
“We wait for the signal,”Atticusinstructed the crewmembers that were standing on alert.Anticipation began pouring through his veins, for after theCrimson Rosehadboldly sailed into the port ofGalwayin plain view,he had hastened to meet with his usual contact in the city. While he normally traded secrets coming from English soil, tonight would see the end of the Raven.
The men he conversed with werereluctantto hear of hissudden“retirement”and did their best to try and coerce him to stay,but after a bit of grumbling, they eventually wished him well and agreed to assist inhis finalcrusade.
“Why should ye want t’ take down a fellowSasanach?”
Atticus had reclined in his chair and gave a lazy, half smile. “Let’s just say he’s trying totakesomethingquitepersonal from me and I don’t appreciate it.”
“Aye. It’s a woman, then.” One of the men laughed heartily, and while Atticus snorted, he didn’t deny the claim for it was the truth. “Those females have a way o’ tyin’ us up in knots.”
Again,Atticus couldn’t disagree, for ever since he’d met Fallon, he’d had trouble thinking straight.It wasn’t until she was gone that everything had become clear.
